Utility Termination Phone Numbers

When to Terminate – A typical listing contract states seller must leave all utilities on until buyer takes possession. Section 3 on the CBGundaker Listing Agreement. It is recommended to not terminate service until the NEXT business day AFTER closing. If your closing date is on Thursday, finalize your bills on Friday. If closing is Friday, I suggest finalizing services the following Monday. Why? For some properties, the gas or water company may need inside access when starting service for new owner. The gas company checks for safety of all gas appliances. Utility companies often only promise a morning or afternoon time frame for their visit. If buyer’s possession is 5pm on closing day, they don’t have an opportunity to meet the utility company for access. Plus buyer is busy signing closing documents on closing day. For a 5pm possession, buyer’s first available day to meet a utility company would be the next business day after closing. If your closing is on Friday, and should your buyer establish service in their name on that Friday (or Saturday) without the utility company needing inside access, your bill will be finalized as of the buyer’s earlier start date, and you will not be billed for Saturday or Sunday even though you set Monday as your termination date.

You could be held liable for damages if caused by early termination of utility services. Especially important is the Gas Service. For instance, if the buyer could not meet the Gas Company until the next day after closing, as you used your possession right up until 5pm, and if you terminated gas service on closing day in the winter and a plumbing pipe burst due to no heat in the home overnight, you could be responsible for damages. So rather than trying to save $5 to $15 for your final utility bills, its best to be safe and terminate the next business date after closing. Most often buyers DO get utilities transferred into their name ON closing day, as this is what their buyer’s agent will have instructed them to do.

If when calling to set up termination dates, you are informed that the buyer HAS already called to take over service, then it ok to have your termination date match the date previously set up by the buyer – so long as it is certain your sale will close on time. You may be told that the new buyer has not yet called to take over the service. Should they ask you about who is taking over the service, simply inform them that the new owner will be making a separate phone call. So long as you have left the utilities on through the NEXT business day after closing, you cannot be held liable for damages if buyer fails to put the utilities in their name.

Ameren Electric  314-342-1000   Toll Free 800-552-7583